Ottawa Senators coach Travis Green is hopeful Claude Giroux will return

Ottawa Citizen

26-06-2025

Travis Green's only input into the preparations for Round 1 of the National Hockey League draft on Friday night was a quick visit to the room where the amateur scouts are holding their meetings.
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'I pop in, bring in some Timbits and wish them luck,' the Senators coach said on Thursday morning at the Canadian Tire Centre. 'I brought a 20-pack today and it wasn't nearly enough. They don't have 40s.'
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Naturally, the draft is about the future for the organization and a large part of Green's job surrounds the here and now. As much as there will be a focus on the first round of the draft and Rounds 2-7 on Saturday, this also is the time of year that teams shape their roster for next season.
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Steve Staios, the club's president of hockey operations and general manager, communicates with Green as much as three times a day to get his input on possible changes. They're on the same page on what this club needs to make another step after making the playoffs this past spring.
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They both agreed they'd like the organization to keep 37-year-old alternate captain Claude Giroux on the club next year. But the closer it gets to Canada Day, the stronger the possibility exists that Giroux will test the market.
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'I hear it and I was guessing I'd be asked about G today,' Green said. 'Every team has one, two or three guys that are being talked about. He's been a great player for us.
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'From a coach's standpoint, I want him back. I understand the business side of the game. G's been here three years watching the team grow, and I just hope G wants to be back and hopefully they figure things out.'
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Green is right because Giroux has been here through the tough times and he knows there are better days ahead.
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The Senators and Giroux's Los Angeles-based agent, Pat Brisson, have been working on trying to get a contract in place since they held serious talks earlier this month at the NHL Combine in Buffalo. Postmedia has reported that both sides agree they want this relationship to continue.
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The issue is finding the sweet spot where both sides are happy with what the contract will look like. The talk in NHL circles is the Senators have offered Giroux a one-year deal in the $2.75-million US range and his camp is looking for a deal closer to the $4 million that David Perron will make.